New Delhi, Jul 21 (PTI): Sanitary pads on Saturday exempted from goods and services tax as the GST Council reduced the tax rates on an array of daily use appliances and products. 

While the goods and services tax on sanitary pads was cut from 12 per cent to zero, rakhis have also been exempted from the tax, Finance Minister Piyush Goyal told reporters here.

”Sanitary napkins have been exempted from GST,” Goyal said.

Among items on which GST was reduced include footwear, small televisions, water heater, electric ironing machines, refrigerators, lithium ion batteries, hair dryers, vacuum cleaners, food appliances and ethanol.

”GST Council cuts tax rate on an array of products. Rakhis have been exempted from GST, tax on ethanol has been cut to five per cent, small handicrafts have been exempted,” Goyal said.

Besides, tax rates on worked up Kota stone, sand stone and similar quality of local stones were cut from 18 to 12 per cent, with the purpose of avoiding classification disputes.

The value limit of footwear was enhanced from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 for five per cent rate.

GST on 17 items used by the middle-class viz paints, refrigerators, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, storage water heaters, TVs up to 68 cm was reduced from 28 to 18 per cent.

The next GST Council meeting will be held on August 4.